Bulk items such as mail and packages and even component parts must be sorted in order to deliver those items to desired locations. In the case of mail, zip codes and other codes are used to sort letters and parcels. Generally, the sorting process involves placing mail with the same or related codes into tubs or trays. The tubs and trays are then placed on pallets and carts and the pallets and carts are loaded on trucks or other vehicles for shipment to their appropriate destinations.
Some parts of this process have been automated, including the sorting of mail by zip code. However, the loading of tubs and trays onto pallets and carts (generically and collectively referred to as “containers”) is generally done by hand. While hand or manual loading accomplishes the desired result, it requires postal staff to be engaged in physically demanding and tedious work. Moreover, the speed at which pallets and the number of people that can be economically employed to carry out the task. Due to the limitations of present systems, automated loading or containerization systems have been developed. While these systems eliminate the problems associated with manually loading containers, these systems are not as efficient as desired. In particular, automated containerization systems generally load items according to a static sortation scheme. The sortation scheme provides instructions to the system regarding, among other possible information, the location of containers into which items are to be placed. However, static schemes are unable to respond to changes in the volume and destinations of the items being containerized.